I Fell From The Dark

2

She was driving. Rain clawed at the windscreen, wind rattled the car.

A light she'd never seen before on the dashboard flashed on, off, on, and stayed lit, red and cryptic. She was miles away from anywhere.

I'm late, I don't have time for this shit.

The car skittered, free of her control for a moment, an angry animal with its own agenda. Fear pulsed through her: she was going too fast for these conditions. She touched the brake, wary of skidding and losing more control.

Nothing happened. The car ploughed on through the hammering rain, relentless as a curse.

She panicked, and stomped her foot down. Was it her imagination, or did it speed up? It pulled under her hands, the steering wheel moving on its own, exerting its own will.

This fucking car with its fucking smart driving. It's going to...

The crunch was dull, metal on metal. She was slammed forwards. The airbag bloomed up to meet her, hard and adversarial. The world tipped crazily around her, forward and around, the headlights darkened by the impact. All she can think of is that she's still late...

When the car hit the lake it was like meeting a deity: a brutal roar, a physical shock, red, white, silver, black.